


For The Road

by Jara257



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 10:19:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3525563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jara257/pseuds/Jara257
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jazz's life is full of secrets and she's spent most of her life being sheltered by her mother. But just because she can't hear, doesn't mean she won't find out the truth. When her old vocal instructor turns up at her door, suddenly her entire life is suddenly changed as she dives into a world of dangerous criminals, strange cyborgs and best of all, magic.</p><p>Buckle up--we’re taking this adventure for the road.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prowling For The Truth

**Author's Note:**

> This story has absolutely no canon characters. It is based on the world of Skulduggery Pleasant and makes reference to it, but does not follow the main story line. You are more than welcome to turn back if this does not interest you.

For Jazz, it seemed a strange day to be hearing anything.

It was still the fall season in Buffalo, but you could feel the onset of winter as the wind sent crisp leaves tumbling across the asphalt. The sky was overcast and it seemed the entire world was a muted grey as she pedalled past a dull beige car. She heard a loud honk and she winced, wishing so hard to just turn off her hearing, but continued on as she turned into one of the side streets lined with brick houses, many with worn shingles that needed replacing years ago. She’d be home soon.

Though, she supposed she could have stayed at the library a bit longer. After the day she’d had, library time was a complete bliss.

It had started with Samantha Gardner. Then again, what else was new? It was always Samantha--her and her dumb clique. But this time seemed far worse than any other time. Jazz could take Samantha teasing her about her voice and her ‘elf ears’. She’d dealt with that plenty of times before. But taking her idea and claiming it as her own? Now that, that was a low blow.

Unfortunately, she’d not even a chance to explain anything. By the time she’d found the right words to speak with the teacher, class was over. And Samantha won.

Although, she supposed today wasn’t all bad. She smiled as she thought of the book in her backpack, _And The Darkness Rained Upon_ Them by the late Gordon Edgely. No one at her school had even gotten a copy as of yet and the one Ms. Hawthorn had given her was a first edition exclusive.

Slowing down her bike, the young teen hopped off, her basketball sneakers hitting the uneven asphalt that made up her driveway. Some good and some bad, she lamented as she walked her bike into the garage. But at least the day couldn’t get much worse after this, right?

She turned around, blinking at the sight before her. Engrossed as she’d been in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed the car currently parked in the driveway--one she’d never seen before. No family friends, or friend of hers for that matter, had a car like that.

Contemplating for a moment, she decided it was time to investigate the mystery visitor before actually heading inside. Her mom wasn’t expecting her home for at least a five more minutes.

Rounding the house, she peered in through one of the side windows between the curtains. Her mother, still in her nurse’s scrubs, was sitting by the table. She seemed rather upset by the way she sat so rigidly in her seat. Jazz’s eyes moved away to focus on another woman leaning against the kitchen counter. The woman looked Latina and seemingly young, likely in her early 20s. She seemed highly familiar but Jazz couldn’t quite put her finger on it...

Regardless, she could tell both of them were talking based on the way they were moving, but she couldn’t understand them. Perhaps she needed a better angle.

Quickly jogging round to the back of the house, she carefully looked in, taking care to ensure that her mother wouldn’t see her.

“...I know he’s missing,” her mother said, “But I can’t just leave and you know that.”

The dark haired woman gave her mother a look. “I think you underestimate your kid, Carmen. I’m sure she’s more than capable.”

Her mother glared. “She’s vulnerable and you of all people should know that.”

Jazz pressed her lips into a thin line at the older woman’s statement. She almost turned away when suddenly the young woman banged her fist against the counter. Jazz almost cried out in pain, clutching her ear as she heard a sharp keening noise. Promptly, she reached behind her ear and switched off her cochlear implant.

Being able to read lips had its advantages. But having a cochlear implant to make up for her ‘disability’? Not so nice.

Regardless, now she could really listen in without any auditory distractions.

Sweeping her long, dark hair out of her vision, she went back to watching the lips of the two women as they now continued speaking in a much more heated manner.

“I don’t have to take this from you--I made my decision a long time ago.” Her mother was rising from her seat. “I’ll show you out,” she said, her brows knit tightly together as she walked stiffly toward the front door. The Latina turned and Jazz could no longer read either of their lips.

Suddenly, her mother abruptly stopped in her retreat as though in reaction to something. She stood there for a long moment and Jazz wondered if they were speaking at all. Finally, the nurse spun about to face the other woman and Jazz ducked down for a brief moment, keeping her eyes trained on her mother.

“Just a week?”

Out of her periphery she saw the younger woman nod in response.

She saw her mother sigh deeply, looking with a resignation at the floor for a beat. “Fine. Give me an hour. I need to pack and make arrangements for Jazz while we’re gone.”

Her eyes widening, Jazz back-pedalled away from the window before rushing toward the front of the house once again. 'While they’re gone'? Where was she going? Was she really going to leave her all by herself?

She slowed as she made it closer to the front door, processing what she’d just seen. All that talk about caring for her well-being and she was just going to up and leave on a whim? That… wasn’t really a bad thing, was it? Didn’t she want more independence from her mother?

The teen placed a hand over the front handle, the other reaching up to briefly touch the device hanging over her left ear. She wasn’t incompetent. She could handle herself. She knew that.

The issue wasn’t her. The issue was her mother was keeping a secret from her.

She opened the door.

And she was going to find out what.

As Jazz stepped into the house, she almost ran into the Latina woman who blinked in surprise at her. After a beat, the woman smiled at her, almost as though greeting a long lost friend.

“Jasmine! It’s been a while. Just got back from school?”

Jazz’s lips pressed into a thin line as she was called by her formal name and the young woman immediately tried to take it back. “Ah ha, Jazz, you remember me, right? Ms. Beats? I used to come here…”

In a moment of realization, it dawned on her that she had seen her before--multiple times in fact. She was an old vocal instructor of hers, one that Jazz actually liked, but for some reason had never stuck around. So, why was she back? And why was she taking her mom somewhere for a week?

Of course, she couldn’t ask that--Ms. Beats would know she’d been listening in. Still, probably good to say something. “Yes, I do remember you, Ms. Beats,” she said instead, “Are you back to teach me again? I know Mr. Alex is on break right now...:”

The vocal instructor hesitated for a moment and seemed about to answer until she was cut off.

“Jazz!” Her mother walked in from the kitchen, smiling at Jazz. “Good to see you made it home safely. Isla, you can go wait in the car--I’ll be there soon.”

Beats seemed reluctant but nodded and brushed past Jazz to go outside. The young teen looked at her mother in curiosity before making a series of motions with her hands. “ _What’s going on?_ ” she signed to her mother.

Her mother sighed, biting her lip before signing back. “ _I’m leaving for about a week. Emergency. I’ve called the Lobos and they said you can stay there. They’ll be here later this evening so get packed._ ”

Jazz furrowed her brow before nodding slowly and saying, “Just a week, right?”

Her mother smiled. She always liked it when Jazz talked rather than signed.

“Just a week,” the nurse replied before gesturing toward the stairs, “Now go get packed. And make sure you bring all of Prowl’s things, alright?”

The teen rolled her eyes, signing an, “I know,” before heading up the stairs.

Quickly dumping her school bag on the floor, she opened up her closet and gathered her emergency supplies--a duffel bag with a few days worth of clothes and a some non-perishable food items. She silently thanked her past self for having the foresight to pack something before-hand. As she reached for her boots near the back, she almost jumped when she felt something warm brush against her back.

Turning quickly, she thoroughly expected her mom had come up to ‘check’ on her. However, she sagged a bit in relief when she saw a small white and black cat bumping against her back and mewling at her. Smiling, she scratched him behind the ears while groping about her closet for her boots with her other hand.

“I’m going away for a while,” she said quietly as she pulled on her boots. “Don’t worry, Josh will take care of you.”

The small feline simply blinked at her before yawning.

She laughed slightly before standing, she quickly stepped over Prowl to her desk to write a quick note out. “ _I’ve gone with mom for the week. Sorry for the inconvenience..._ ”

She hesitated to write more, breathing out heavily. Was she really doing this?

Looking out her bedroom window, she could see Beats sitting in the car, singing along with some music she was playing based on the way she kept tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel. She could sneak into the trunk if she waited by the side of the house...

Her lips pressed thinly into a determined line and she proceeded to write. “ _Take care of Prowl for me, k? --Jazz._ ”

Setting down the pen, she slung her bag over her shoulder before picking up Prowl who dug her claws into her thick sweater in protest and she headed down to wait in the kitchen. She’d have to say ‘goodbye’ to her mom first.

She was really doing this. The only downside, she supposed as she petted the agitated cat along his spine to calm him, was that she wouldn’t see Prowl for a week. But anything was worth finding out what her mom was hiding from her after all this time.

Anything.

 

 


	2. First Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: implied torture

He couldn't see anything. Groaning, he attempted to lift an arm to stop the bright lights from shining directly into his eyes. But he couldn’t. Frowning, he attempted to sit up but found the same problem. He was stuck.

He shivered as he felt around with his fingers. Worse than stuck--he was shackled. As he lay on the stiff slab, he could feel the cold permeating into him. Squinting, he tried to gain some sort of bearing of his surroundings, hoping his eyes would adjust. They didn’t.

His breathing became harsher, and he could swear he could even see his warm breath in the frigid air. He had to get out here.

A click and a door opened behind him.

Too late.

"Now, Raj, what is that going to accomplish?" The voice pierced into him as he heard it rounding about the slab to look over him. He couldn't even see a face, silhouetted against the bright light overhead. "Your skin's only going to start chafing against those shackles."

"Not as chafing as your voice is against my ears," he smiled, trying not to let on that the use of his nickname had affected him.

The figure drew back, shaking its head. The voice still isn't far, just beside him in fact. Probably working through some chosen implements of torture based on that metallic clinking. "I only want you to be comfortable."

The shackled man bumped his wrist against his metal bonds. If he pulled hard enough, he could break his thumb and slip out...

The figure lifted a metal tool up for closer scrutiny. "If you cooperate, this really shouldn't take long. I've been refining my method, see. And the last one actually--well, they didn't quite survive, but I came pretty close t--"

In a single motion, he yanked his arm, breaking his thumb and slipping his hand through the metal cuff before sweeping an arm to strike his captor at the neck.

It never hit his target. In an instant, he felt cold metal closing over his wrist. Again.

His tormentor looked into his eyes in disappointment, almost like a parent that caught their child in a mischievous act. He hated that look.

He attempted to kick and buck, panicking internally while trying to only show his anger and frustration externally. He was almost tempted to try and bite his captor as he felt his hand being shackled to the slab once more, his bonds tightening. But it was useless.

Drawing up to full height, the figure looked back to the captive man's face as the figure reached for a tool and lifted it up. He saw a finger press a single button on the chosen implement and it crackled with electricity. He couldn't even hide the terror on his face.

"Looks like we'll be doing this the hard way." There was an unmistakable smile in that voice.

And soon, there was unmistakable pain in Mirage's.


	3. Old Blood and Loud Noise

“So, how’ve you been?”

The nurse nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice next to her, quickly turning to see Isla with her big headphones over ears and all, looking at her expectantly. They’d been on the road for nearly an hour and a half, but had barely spoken a word to one another in that time. Carmen had been too consumed in her thoughts, worrying when she’d be back and Jasmine’s well-being.

Not that it should have been surprising. Being suddenly whisked away on a journey to find their missing brother with barely any preparations would be enough to send any mother on the edge of her nerves for her child. She’d seriously considered just turning getting Isla to turn around now; she could explain to the Lobos it’d been a false alarm and just pick up Jasmine from their house. But the thought of her brother Mirage had stopped that thought in its tracks. 

If he really was missing, possibly dead...well, he was _family_. Regardless of her personal sentiments toward her family’s professions, she couldn’t just back out on them when they were in need. As an older sister, she had at least some degree of responsibility for both of them.

Though, that hadn’t stopped her from worrying and wanting to call Jasmine to check up on her.

However, Isla had chosen now to suddenly interrupt her train of thought and Carmen’s lips turned downward, gesturing toward the highway before them. “Keep your eyes on the road, Imelda.”

The driver opted to roll them first with a cheeky grin on her face before settling her eyes to the place indicated. “I know you think calling me that is going to work, but it’s not. Taken Name’s still Isla, _Aspen_ ”

Carmen turned away to look out her window once again, scoffing. “I told you not to call me that. Not that you’ll listen to me anyway, _Isla._ ”

“Hey, come on, Carms,” the younger said in a placating manner, “I haven’t seen you in forever. Can’t we at least pretend to get along? Just for now?”

Carmen continued to stare pointedly out the window for a long moment, her fingers drumming against her trousers. There was really no sense in making this trip more miserable than it already was. Besides, it might stop her from wanting to call her daughter every ten minutes. Jasmine was probably fine. Just fine.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back to her younger sister who grinned almost immediately. “Alright, what do you want to talk about?”

Isla’s brow cocked up, obviously having something in particular in mind. “Well, how about a bit of a game to just… break the ice? Y’know, to get ourselves familiar with each other again?”

The fairer skinned woman gave her a blank look, speaking in a flat tone. “A game.”

The younger simply nodded, her grin growing wider. “I think you know this one, actually.”

_Skreeee!_

Giving a sharp yelp, Carmen literally jumped (though, not out of her skin) as an awful, loud scraping noise resounded from the seat be directly her. Immediately whipping around, she looked into the back and saw…

Nothing. Just her own luggage.

She turned back to Isla who was laughing with the goofiest grin on her face.

“Absolutely incredible! I haven’t been able to do that since we were kids!” the other woman laughed, beating a hand against the steering wheel while trying to make sure her headphones didn’t slide off her ears.

Carmen held back the urge to verbally smack Isla across the face and took a moment to compose herself. “Ha ha, you’re hilarious. Using Audiomancy isn’t something you can just do at your own leisure, Isla. You have to be careful with your magic.”

Isla’s grin only widened. “You just don’t wanna admit I actually _got_ you with the oldest trick in the book.”

Carmen’s expression changed to one of indignation as she turned away and crossed her arms, trying to exude an air of being annoyed and embarrassed while Isla only continued to laugh harder.

Fine, if that was how she wanted to play, then that’s what she would get.

While Isla tried to control herself, the nurse carefully rolled up a sleeve and nicked herself along one of the veins along her arm, blood immediately beginning to bead along the wound. It seemed to tingle with a delight, as though it had been begging to be exposed to the air.

She breathed carefully. It had been a while since she’d done this.

Twitching a few fingers, the blood moved along with her fingers as she tried to get used to the feeling of using her magic once more. She slowly relaxed her posture and twirled her hand, drawing out more blood, feeling the magic flowing in them, until she had about a teaspoon’s worth suspended in the air beside her. Shifting a bit in her seat, Carmen looked back to Isla who was still grinning goofily despite having her laughter under control. Subtly flicking her wrist, the blood shot around behind Isla, knocking off her left headphone before splattering itself across the window.

In an instant, Isla’s grin disappeared as she turned to her left only to see blood suddenly impacting against her window. She let out a choked yelp, almost slamming on the brakes until Carmen reached out a hand to steady the steering wheel.

Looking back to her older sister, Isla’s horrified eyes quickly turned to see that Carmen had a sly grin of her own. Carmen waved a hand and instantly called her own blood back to her, spinning the drops between her fingers. “Gotcha.”

Isla’s wide eyes quickly softened to one of sparkling amusement as laughter burst from the younger woman. “Holy crap, you actually--”

Carmen couldn’t help herself as she laughed along with her sister, losing control over the blood in her hand as it seeped into her dark pant leg. As their laughter bounced off the inside of the car, it almost seemed like they were kids again. During the days when they were still oblivious to magic. Back when they discovered it together, learning more from their mother. During the days when she was still deciding on a magic discipline before settling into Hemomancy. It was hard to believe it’d really been so long since she last practiced, back when…

Immediately, her bubbling laughter began to subside as moved forward in time. To the days when she was no longer a child. To last time she’d manipulated her own blood. To the night when she lost _him_. Back before she even discovered she’d been pregnant with Jasmine…

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, turning it over in hands. Perhaps she should call…

“Carmen….”

Looking up, she saw the concern etched in Isla’s features. She vaguely noted she looked odd with one of her headphones knocked off. “I have to make sure she’s okay, Isla.”

“I’m sure she’s fine, Carms. Sh--”

“You don’t know that,” the nurse cut across her, shooting her sister a determined look. “I’m going to text her.”

In a few moments, the text ‘Are you with the Lobos?’ had been sent and she stared at the phone in her hand intently. She should be texting back any moment now--she should have her cell phone on her…

“Um, Carms?”

Looking up with a glare, she gave her sister a pointed look. “What is it?”

“There are noises coming from the trunk.”

At this, she gave her younger sister a skeptical look and Isla protested immediately. “Carmen, I’m being 100% legit right now, I am _not_ doing that.”

Rolling her eyes, Carmen still listened intently, sure it would be yet another prank, probably a sudden loud noise in her ear or...

_Bzz-bzz-bz!_

“...Well?”

“Isla, pull over right now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews and critiques are appreciated!


End file.
